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Undersecretary Prescott stood on the bow of the Silver Fortune, the wind messing up his long locks of hair. The ship was swaying gently underneath the four giant glass spheres containing the precious tyderia gas that allowed the oversized merchant airship to stay aloft. The four large wingsails inflated fully as they gobbled up the air currents. He nodded approvingly. They were making excellent time, already nearing the edge of the Burning Sands. Within four or five hours they would be in Latapau territory and could stop to resupply the ships. A bellowing awieha caught his attention and he turn to gaze at the giant beast flying escort. As they did so often, it reminded him of the offspring of the large marine whales that would breach outside his coastal village on the shores of Pascony and the deadly manta needlerays that dwelt in the ocean deep. He missed the salt spray of the ocean and disliked these large flying creatures with their giant wings and piercing moans. The five soldiers riding on the aiwha’s saddle looked very bored; it had been a long and uneventful trip.

It was a month and a half to get to the Marathi Empire from Pascony and a month and a half back. The trip had been a great success, one that would result in immense wealth for the Company and most assuredly a promotion for Prescott. These trips were vital to the success of the Company, as exotic Marathi goods sold like wildfire to Pascon and Nuemarian households. The imports were incredibly valuable, which is why the Silver Fortune was one of three merchant airships in the convoy, escorted by six awiehas with Company archers in the saddles. Prescott surveyed the convoy line and nodded satisfactorily. Everything was in order.

The figures lounging near the stern of the ship caught his eye and he frowned. He had disapproved of the Company’s decision to hire private venturing contractors. The PVC M.A.W. had been contracted for this convoy and he couldn’t understand the need for mercenaries. The Company’s Auxiliary Service soldiers were more then adequate to defend the convoy and with such an uneventful trip the cut into the bottom line bothered his halfling financial senses. The mercenaries had been entirely unneeded. Why, he bet they would even…

Several red dots in the distance stopped his thought process. All around him the Halflings had ceased their talk and eyeglasses were being trained on the dots breaking free from the thick cloud back to the northeast. Squinting hard, Prescott hurried to the side of the ship’s captain, Ton Cathay. The captain was speaking in hushed tones with his lieutenant and they looked worried. The red dots were already growing larger and Prescott could already see small wooden baskets underneath the misshapen red balloons

“Captain Cathay, please tell me that is not what I fear it is.” Panic started to grip Prescott when the captain looked at him with dread. All hopes of his promotion started to fade. He was glad now that the Silver Fortune was at the end of the convoy line.

“I fear so, Undersecretary. It appears to be goblin balloons. Looks like a line of sky pirates emerging from the cloudbank.” Even as he spoke, Prescott could hear bells starting their warning toll and the giant awiehas began to pull away from the convoy. Prescott could only stare at the captain dumbly. The captain turned back to his eyeglass.

“I hope those venturers we hired are any good.”

Talonrazor on August 2010

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RainfallIf you do not repay me,I will RECLAIM the ball.Registered Userregular

Miss ran her tongue over her lips, tasting a memory of blood on them. The last Brother she had killed had more than a few guard dogs tailing her, and MAW was hiring. It was simple expediency, a cover made perfect by its sheer openness. After all, a shapeshifter knew how to hide in plain sight.

Now, bloodshed was coming again. The faint pulse of purpose that drove her forward quickened. The Stranger liked it when Miss sent souls to Her. It helped, of course, that Miss was very, very, very good at it. Her cloak billowed, dimming the light around her as she whispered a single word, calling her dark leather armor to wrap around her body, sacrificing freedom of movement for the protection she would need in the fight ahead.

"Shall we, companions?" The revenant's voice echoed like a whisper from the grave as she strode down the deck towards the bow, one delicate hand loosening the straps on the massive sword that hung on her back, the one that she only used when she wanted things to get bloody.

It hadn't been easy for years, now that she thought about it. Not since she'd smashed open that glass case and pilfered those pages in a fit of rage-fueled delirium then promptly absconded to who-knows-where. A terrifyingly close call with the Cult in some nameless little town in Pascony (it was becoming harder and harder to hide from them, she was discovering) had left her shaken and rattled to the core. Joining up with MAW was a choice she'd made out of desperation, and the past few weeks she'd spent with this merry band had left her with a single, lasting impression:

These people were insane. A friendly kind of insane, the kind that was unusually prone to cheering her on when she put the business end of her spear through things, but insane nonetheless.

"I suppose it has been a little bit too long since I last brutally murdered something," she quipped, stepping away from the side of the deckhouse she'd been leaning against from most of the trip. Sliding her goggles up onto her forehead and flipping back her hood, she dropped her disguise in favor of actually being able to see. If any of the crew members had something to say to her about her racial heritage after the impending massacre, she'd be more than happy to oblige their complaints.

She stepped up beside Miss and reached back, drawing what appeared to be a length of metal pipe from a sling across her shoulderblades. With a dextrous twist of her wrist and a flick of a thumbswitch the spear sprung outward in both directions with a pneumatic hiss, expanding outward to its full length, a dangerously sharp blade on one end and a wicked-looking hook on the other, barbed and serrated.

"It'd be nice if they could at least board us quicker and get it over with."

Looking up from the round of dice Murillio had been playing with various off duty crew members, he almost laughs at his companions transparent eagerness. Then he nearly laughs at himself as he practically scrambles to his feet, grabbing for his cane and heading to join his venture mates.

Normally he wouldn't even be out here. It was "bad business" for a man of his societal standing to "go adventuring." But the boredom of high society was killing him, slowly. Besides introducing new fashions as fast as the nobles could keep up with, the only excitement in his life was avoiding the inquisition. Up until his father had died three years before, Murillio had devoted his life to the study of the Fey. Now, back in the Faith's sphere of influence, his experiments had to be conducted behind closed doors.

But now he was out. Free. If only for a few short months, he was as far from the inquisitions prying eyes as he could get.

These months have been eye-opening for Thalen. There is so much to learn about the world outside his home, and (he realizes) so much he doesn't know. An adventuring company seemed to him like the perfect way to experience the world at its most base and grittiest... his assumptions haven proven to be correct. This band has been... interesting, to say the least. He has enjoyed their company, however, as one can only glean so much companionship communing with nature.

This turn of events did not offer much in the way of learning. This was something he already knew, and his predator instincts were beginning to take over. Now was the time for action.

"Foirm fabhcún," he mutters, and assumes the form of a falcon. Rising high above the ship's sails he attempts to get a clear view of the potential threat heading the way of the Silver Fortune.

Coming up the stairs from the rear lower decking Shul catches the last of the Halfling's words to his companions at the rail and addresses them matter of factly.

"Goblins aren't bright, they'll come right at us the shortest way they can, try and disable or rupture the tyderian orbs and send us down to ground. Then it's just a matter of picking out what they can before the bandits show up to take what's left."

From fighting Barons and squires to goblin raiders. How the mighty have fallen.

Truth be told amputating two of the lad's fingers hadn't been the brightest idea, but he'd been provoked and the young idiot had never mentioned he was the son of a particularly rich and influential Margrave. Pelindar's advisor had explained in no uncertain terms afterwards that it would be best for him to take a leave of absence from the court. Fortunately he still had some old contacts in M.A.W. that had managed to get him some contract work. Not glamorous work by any stretch of the imagination.

But still.

It was nice to be in the field again.

Taking in a breath of air the warrior finishes strapping on a gauntlet and holds his other hand up to his eyes to shield them from the blazing sun as he watches his companion wing his way across the sky to the approaching raider ships.

With a heartfelt sigh, Kallon stood up and made his way out of the dinning room. Grabbing a well worn pick from his belt, he began to clean out the bits of meat and bone stuck in his teeth, careful not to step on anymore of the ship's crew members again. He felt sorry for the kitchen crew this time, normally he would leave nothing behind but that half gnawed carcass was bigger than half the staff.

I'll make it up to them somehow, those cooks deserve it. Say anything you want about the tiny bugger, they can cook a mean dinner.

Emerging onto the deck, he looked around for any other members of his group. Sure enough a few were standing near the rail, looking off into the clouds. He had been hesitant to work with a decent sized group like this, he had done some mercenary work in real armies once or twice and it wasn't his thing. Feeling like a disposable piece of trash wasn't his idea of pay. But he had been pleasantly surprised by this group. As far as he could tell, most seemed to be out of place here as a low level merc. But that had been said about himself more then once so he tried to keep an open mind.

He was disappointed to see Thalen, the human wasn't here. It was rare to find another who could hear the spirits even back home, much less wandering these human kingdoms. So he was trying his best to get along with at the very least him. Suddenly the spirit that hides out in his pelt nudged his attention upwards. Spying a hawk soaring high above the deck, he smiled.

Clever

Stepping forward, he finally joined the rest of the group. "I guess we are about to earn our pay finally. But it only looks like a few goblins, what are they so worried about they can't be that big of a threat. Just fly by, pop those silly looking balloons of these, and watch them fall to their deaths."

The goblin balloons were drawing closer, about a dozen of the red balloon and their large wicker baskets swaying beneath them. A small furnace was in each basket, supplying the hot air that kept the balloon aloft. Two goblins cranked a small handcrank that spun the single propeller while three more archers crowded in the basket with crossbows and various goblin boomer-bombs. The awiehas and balloons were already exchanging arrow volleys while the lead airship was slowly trying to change course. On the Silver Fortune, Prescott seemed to be in a fit of panic.

“Undersecretary, we cannot alter course that fast! We are in a strong wind current and if we deviate drastically we will lose all our speed!” The captain appeared irritated with the fretting bureaucrat. The dozen archers on the airship were taking positions on the front of the ship, large barrels of arrows being positioned for them to draw from.

Prescott paced back on forth on the quarterdeck, wringing his hands. “Captain, it is imperative that we avoid all contact with those goblins! We must get Silver Fortune out of here! Now!”

Meanwhile, high above, Thalen could see more of the red balloons rising from the ground. Another eight had been covered with nets and sand in the desert below and now goblins were building the fire inside the balloon and slowly the red oblong shapes were rising. About to cry out a warning, something else caught his eye and he stopped, circling above for a better look.

There, high above the convoy and close to the stern of the Silver Fortune was a massive shape dropping out of cloud cover. It was a long, tube shaped balloon with two more smaller balloons sewn directly onto each side in a bid to increase the size. A large net was draped over the whole thing, with four thick ropes dangling beneath connected to what appeared to be a wooden rectangular box. Fastened to the net were iron plates, giving the balloon the appearance of having scale armor haphazardly fixed over it. A railing with parapets lined the top of the box and a small deckhouse billowing smoke sat on the stern. Two metal shafts jutted from the deckhouse and spun large corkscrew propellers quickly.

Thalen could see small shutter swinging opening from the wooden structure and three ballistae on the deck of the box were being trained on the Silver Fortune. In front of the rectangular cabin was a sort of scaffolding that supported what appeared to be a large number of tiny gilders. Already, goblins were climbing onto the gliders and detaching, swooping towards the Silver Fortune. The entire goblin sky blimp had been crudely painted blood red. Thalen knew they only had a matter of minutes before the first of the gliders slammed aboard the stern of the airship and then it wouldn’t be long before the goblin blimp, not reliant on the air currents, would draw up alongside the airship.

Shreya cocked her hip and nodded her head, looking out at the approaching gliders. She flexed her gauntlet-clad hand into a fist, tiny bolts of blue-white electricity crackling and arcing over the surface of the metal.

"So what's the plan, people? Make a shot at boarding them, or just kill enough of their crew that they turn tail?"

Miss measured the wind and the incoming gliders, and then smiled, her fangs surprisingly bright in the dimmed light around her.
"Capture the gliders, and we can assault their own craft. Take down the blimp before it can unleash its firepower and crew onto this vessel. The soldiers can earn their pay and fight off the balloons."

"All of the above I think Shreya. I agree with Miss, best to take the fight to them. We're right at the back of the trading fleet here and if we have to do any fighting we've already lost most of the ships." Shul grins behind the cloth covering his face. "Besides, I'm sure the good Undersecretary will be delighted to finally get his money's worth out of us. And it'll be so much easier to get it out of him if his ships make it back to port."

"A suitably deranged plan, but I think it will work... now it's just a matter of nabbing a few gliders, isn't it?" She tapped her foot impatiently against the deck of the ship, pacing from side to side as she watched them close in on the group, her mind at work formulating and calculating.

"Here's hoping we get lucky with updrafts." She smirked and readied herself, taking a shuffling step back away from the railing and lowering herself into a fighting stance.

"Huh, well that's what I get for opening my big mouth then." Kallon glanced over the railing at the long, long fall before turning back to face the others. "You guys must have been dropped a few times on the head as babies. Those things look like they barely hold aloft those little goblins they have, much less us."

Drawing his sword and shield, he turned his attention to the behemoth coming down on them. "Hey Thalen you think you could fly back up there and peck at that big middle balloon and pop it? Maybe drop a knife or something? It looks like without that, it shouldn't be able to stay in the air. Hell we might even get lucky and it will take out a few of them below us too." Pausing and scratching his head, he looked around at the ship. "Or send it crashing into us. But if we keep going forward at top speed we should be able move out of it's way in time."

Thalen begins to swing the thong of his sling above his head, but instead of throwing a bullet, the thong lashes out as a magical vine, whipping a goblin off his glider and sending it screaming through the air to its death.

The five goblins sitting on the tiny glider seats watched as one of their comrades was ripped to shreds and sent spiraling down below. Their plan was simple. They would land on the chase deck and the deckhouse and provide covering fire for the next wave of gliders behind them. Two would land on the deckhouse and fire their shortbows at the small band of mercenaries on the flightdeck while a third would land on the other side. Two more would land on the small chase deck that sat two decks below. Now, if everything would all go according to plan! The five goblins neared the ship as the sky blimp behind them grew larger and more gliders appeared to be drawing closer.

Spoiler:

Two of the goblins land on top of the deckhouse and fire their short bows at Thalen. Each scores a hit, dealing a total of 10 damage to Thalen. Another lands on the other side of the deck and two more lands below. Any goblin that dies as a result of readied actions is presumed not to make it. You see another five gliders coming in closer and the big blimp appears to be able to draw alongside your ship in a matter of minutes! All the goblins are minions.

InitiativeMissThalenShreyaGGP 1-5KalenMurilloShul

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RainfallIf you do not repay me,I will RECLAIM the ball.Registered Userregular

Miss swirled her cloak around her as she stepped into the shadows, lashing out with her sword as she emerged behind one of the goblins on the roof of the deckhouse. She hadn't counted for a piece of improvised armor on the goblin's side, though, and the blade scraped harmlessly against the metal.

"It's about dam time! Let's get things started!" Spying a couple of globins landing on top of the deckhouse, Kallon climbs the ladder to the top. As he moves to strike, he is surpised to see Miss appear out of nowhere in front of him and stab at the goblin. Stepping to her side, he puts himself between the goblins and strikes the same target she did. Both goblins howl out in pain together, as lighting coats his blade as he slices the first goblin, and then arcs to hit the one behind him.

Unable to see where the goblins had gone, Murillio charges up the ladder behind Miss and Kallon. However, he finds himself somewhat disappointed on reaching the top to find nothing but two dead goblins.

"Didnt anyone ever teach you two to share?"

After a quick glance around, Murillio realizes the other three must be on lower decks. "Anyone see where the other party goer's were headed?"

"I'll take the one on the otherside!" Moving around the poop deck Shul catches sight of one of the goblin raiders disentangling himself from his glider. Taking advantage of the creature's preoccupation the mercenary charges forward and slams the hilt of his sword into it's head causing it to slam into the rail.

"This one is taken care of, did anyone catch sight of where the other two landed?"

Thalen charges the two remaining Goblins and unleashes a swarm of locusts which make short work of the unfortunate creatures. They die screaming as the locusts devour them.

Spoiler:

Move to: R40

Standard:Swarming Locusts vs Reflex:
Close Blast 3 (O40-Q40, O40-O42) The blast creates a zone of swarming locusts that lasts until the end of your next turn. While within the zone, enemies grant combat advantage.
GGP4: 1d20+624
GGP1: 1d20+6251d8+4 = 8 Damage to each.